My 3 year old choked and won't eat any solid food

[KCar599]

Please help - my 3 year old daughter had a choking episode 5 days ago and refuses to eat solid food at all.  She will try putting certain things in her mouth and is then repulsed and gags and spits out the food with lots of saliva.  I am so scared.  She will drink liquids, drinkable yogurts and pediasure but nothing that is even close to food (not even apple sauce).  How long can she go on on like this and what are my next steps?  She has been to the emergency room for the choking episode and they told me she will eat when she's ready.  My DR said he may want to do a bronchoscopy to check for a blocakge but if she can drink, I don't feel that will help.  How long can she go on like this??  Thanks for your help.

[Sandman2]

   Very good points by specialmom.  Definitely follow up on the sensory issues.  Also wondered if your daughter had any trouble with textures?

[specialmom]

Hi there,  sorry you are having this trouble.  My own son has trouble with things due to his sensory integration disorder.  He gagged and choked as a toddler and then refused various foods.  He is now 8 and will still gag on tiny little pieces of meat.  This is due to something called 'gag memory'.  Doesn't matter if it is irrational, the mind remembers the gagging/choking and will cause this reaction.  

Does your little one have trouble chewing do you think?  

There is also a barium test that they can do to look at how a child swallows.  

I think that I'd investigate if she has problems with these.

There is a book called "Food Chaining" which is really helpful for expanding diet.  It might involve you taking your food and using a food processor on it, then leaving some pieces graduating to bigger pieces etc.  It's a good read and you may find it interesting.

We've also worked with an occupational therapist on eating issues and at times speech therapists will deal with eating (especially in young children).  Does your child have an difficulty speaking?

[natty16]

My daughter is 3yrs old and will only eat Stage 2 baby food, yogurt and pudding. She has never eaten a cracker, chip, cookie or anything. We offered her everything while she was a baby and still try now but she has always refused it. She even has a problem some days with the smell of foods to the point she will start to gag. I have tried the not feeding her and she does not care she wont eat. So that option does not work. Any adivce on what else to try?

[buffy160]

Hello,  My 5 year old daughter will only eat applesauce or drink Ensure and Gatorade.  She choked on a piece of candy a few weeks ago and then last week she choked on a piece of chicken.  She has been cleared for blockages,etc.  She panics at the thought of eating solid food.  It has been almost almost 7 days since solid food.  She was really dehydrated this past Friday and I pumped her with fluids.  I am so worried.  I told her she could open an early Christmas gift if she would eat and she refused.  Please tell me what the outcome was with your daughter.  Thank you.

[Liquid4444]

Don't know how long it will go on for. It depends on your daughter. But I am positive she will grow out of it. I had something like that with meat when I was a kid. I would swallow a part of what I chewed, but another chunk would stay behind because I wasn't finished chewing, but there would a sting of gristle holding the swallowed piece back from going down. I would choke because I didn't know what to do. So I didn't like meat for a long time. The only meat I could do was meat loaf and hamburger. I got over it the older I got and learned how to handle gristle. What did your daughter choke on? You never said.
Your daughter will get over it. You will just have to be patient and work with her. Let her try what she wants and nothing she doesn't. I can't help much more because I don't know what she choked on. Anyway, good luck.